Improvement in piling old railroad-rails



THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO-LITM.39 B141 PARK PLACEJLY.

' UNITED STAT-Es PATEOFfF-Icn.

JOHN GRIFFIN AND M. P. WEEKS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PILING OLD RAILROAD-RAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,656, dated May 10, 1864.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN GRIFFIN and M. P. WEEKS, of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piling Railroad-Rails for Reworking; and We do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of this invention relates, first, to so shearing off longitudinally a portion of the flanges ofthe old rails for reworking that they may be arranged or interlocked together in a manner to form a compact and solid pile which will admit of being rolled into new rails, or other bar or plate iron, at one heating; secondly, in the combination, with the pile of rails so sheared and interlocked, of special pieces of proper form or forms to lill out or square the pile.

Figure I represents a cross-section of apile consisting of ten rails, A A A2, and special pieces B B. In this arrangement of the rails the sides of the pile are formed by three rails, A A A, with their flanges vertical and in contact, and bases outward and flush. The flanges being sheared so that the width of the base7 only exceeds the width of the head by the thickness of the web, the space between two adjacent rails, A A', will be of such size and shape as to be illed by a third rail, A2, interlocking therewith. The interlocking rails A2 are placed base to base, so that the width of the pile is equal to twice the depth of the rails plus twice the depth of the base or lange. The special pieces B are rolled inone, two, or three parts, with one side llat and the other of such form as to t into and fill the curved surface formed by the sides of the bottom and top rails, A, of the pile, so that the pile is evened or squared up in proper form for passage through the formingrollers. This pile is compact and solid without interstices, so that in its first passage between the forming-rollers, and while it is at the proper welding-temperature and before it has time to cool, a perfect and complete welding takes place between all of the different rails forming the pile, so that the new rail may be formed complete and perfect without the necessity of reheating. The flanges of a rail are always rounded oft', so that the han ges of two rails placed in contact without shearing would only slightly touch each other, and consequently would allow the cold air to enter between them, which, on account of the comparatively small quantity of metal at that point, cools them before they can be passed through the forming-rollers, thus preventing a perfect weld and causing the necessity ot reheating. By shearing the flanges according to our improvement this difficulty is entirely overcome, since the shearing cuts off the rounded edge of the flange and gives a much greater and more perfect bearing to the anges in contact.

Fig. II represents a pile formed of eight rails sheared, arranged, and interlocked as in Fig. I, with a change in the form of the top special piece, as represented.

Fig. III represents a pile formed of six rails sheared, arranged, and interlocked as in Fig. I, the special pieces, being the same as in Fig. I.

Fig. IV represents a pile consisting of five rails, the first course of which is Iormed by three rails standing upon their bases, and the second course of two rails llin g the spaces between the rails of the first course and interlocking therewith. The lower special piece is simply a Hat bar of proper width, the upper one having one side hat and the other of proper form to t the top of the pile.

Fig. V represents a pile formed of four rails arranged and interlocked as in Fig. I, the lower special piece being the same as in Fig. I, and the upper the same as in Fig. Il.

Fig. VI represents a pile consisting of three vrails arranged as in Fig. IV, with special pieces of the same form.

Fig. Ia is a pile arranged the same and consisting' of the same number of rails as Fig. I, except that instead of shearing an equal quanA tity from each ilange of the rail, a quantity equal to that sheared from both Hanges is sheared from one, which allows the rails to interlock and form a solid and compact pile, the same as in Fig. I.

Figs. Hf, lll, 1V, Vf", VIL represent piles arranged the same and consisting of the same number of rails as Figs. II, III, IV, V, VI, 2. The combination, with :L pile of rails so exeeptt'hat, as described for Fig. I, one flange shezued and interloeked, of extra. or special only is sheared. pieces of proper form or forms to fill out or Having thus described our invention, what square the pile, substantially as set fort-h.

We claim, and desire to secure by Letters lat- JOHN GRIFFIN l. Forming :L pile or fagot of rails Whose 11a-n ge or anges have previously been sheared 'Vitnesses off, substantially as described, for the pur- B. H.MUEHLE,

e set forth. W. H. FoRBUsH. 

